‘Fast 8’ Will Ride With A New Female Villain

EXCLUSIVE: In a time when females are stepping into superhero roles and Ghostbusters was remade with a cast of women, now comes word that the eighth installment of the Fast And Furious franchise will have a sole female villain. The script is not even done, but sources tell Deadline that newly minted Fast 8 director F. Gary Gray and screenwriter Chris Morgan are inserting a fierce female villain into the story. They are said to have their eye on a particular actress, too: Charlize Theron, whose gritty performance in Mad Max: Fury Road, certainly was a welcome force in the multiple Oscar-nominated George Miller film. It appears her dance card may be open during that time, too.

Gray and Theron have worked together before — on The Italian Job years ago. Universal had no comment on any casting speculation for its successful franchise, and no offer has been made to Theron. Sources say she hasn’t seen any part of a script yet.

So right now, its way too early to predict an outcome, but those agents representing strong female talent should take note. This is said to be a juicy role and, given the international reach of the multibillion-dollar franchise, is a primo spot for any actress. Whomever gets the plum role won’t be the only strong female in the cast: Michelle Rodriguez is expected to return.